SO WHAT NOW?” Keefe asked after the Councillors had leaped away and Jurek had closed the Sanctuary’s gates. “You off to Everglen to check on the Fitzter?”
“I thought I’d give them a little space.” She’d probably hail him later to make sure he was okay. But she knew they’d need some time. “This is a family thing, y’know?”
“I guess.” Keefe kicked a pile of snow, sending it scattering. “So you’re going back to Havenfield, then?”
“Yeah. Why, what are you up to?”
“Nothing,” he said—a little too quickly.
“So . . . do you want to come over, then?” she asked, fidgeting with the necklace he’d given her. “I thought I might try to make starkflower stew to give to Calla’s tree—and I know that sounds super exciting, but . . . you could make fun of me. And then you could stay for dinner, and—”
“Foster, you don’t have to take care of me.”
“Maybe I just like you,” she said—then realized how that sounded. “I’m just . . . worried about you.”
Keefe stepped closer. “I know. It’s one of the things I like about you.”
Her stomach filled with fluttering things, which flitted around even more when she noticed how close they were now standing. The toes of their boots were almost touching, and his breath felt warm on her cheeks.
Someone cleared their throat, reminding them they weren’t alone. When Sophie turned, she found Grady glaring and Edaline smiling that goofy smile again. She couldn’t decide which was worse.
“We’re heading home—” Grady started.
“But you don’t have to leave with us,” Edaline finished. “Just make sure you let us know where you are if you decide to go somewhere.”
Grady started to say something else, but Edaline created a path of light and whisked him away.
“That was weird,” Sophie mumbled, sure her face was bright red.
“Yeah,” Keefe said, his cheeks flushed too—but that was probably from the freezing wind.
“So you really don’t want to come over?” she asked. “Even for a little while?”
“I . . . can’t. But you should go to Dex’s. Or go hang with my buddy Bangs Boy.”
“Still refusing to call him Tam, huh?”
“Some things should never change.”
“What about you?” Sophie pressed, wondering why it seemed like he was trying to get rid of her. “Where are you going?”
“What makes you think I’m going anywhere?”
“I don’t know. You’re acting really weird. You keep avoiding the question—don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
“I’m fine,” he promised.
“That’s still not a real answer.”
He reached up and mussed his hair. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, I swear. I meant . . . I’m dealing with something right now.”
“You’re really worrying me now, Keefe. What is it?”
Keefe looked away. “I’m just going to see someone. It’s not a big deal.”
“Can I go with you?”
He shook his head. “Please forget it, okay?”
She watched him shuffle from foot to foot, his fingers twitching, twitching, twitching. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Keefe—but you promised you’d let me help.”
“I know. But this is something I have to do by myself. It’s fine, though, I swear. It’s all going to be fine.”
He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“Remember when we were at the Black Swan’s ocean hideout, and you ate the drugged cookie and left me all alone with Silveny?” he asked. “I trusted you. I’m just asking you to do the same.”
“I seem to remember almost dying that day . . .”
“And I’m saving the near-death experiences for you and Fitz. I like being alive.” He stepped closer then, so close she could count the snowflakes in his eyelashes, which were much longer and darker than she’d realized. “Please just trust me, Sophie.”
She chewed her lip. “You’ll hail me later and let me know you’re okay?”
“I’ll hail you as soon as I can.”
That wasn’t the answer she’d been looking for, and it definitely added to her worries. But she couldn’t think of anything else to say except, “Okay.”
He grinned at her then, a real Keefe grin, and she let herself believe she was making the right decision.
She managed to stay convinced as they said a quick goodbye—even as she pulled out her home crystal and held it up to the light.
But then she noticed the crystal in Keefe’s hand and realized it was pale yellow—the same color as the crystals that went to the Neutral Territories.
Without thinking, she lunged and grabbed Keefe’s shoulders, letting the light carry her with him as he glittered away.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Keefe yelled as they reappeared by a bloodred lake, surrounded by stark, misty mountains.
Sophie recognized it from the memory she’d seen in Mitya’s mind. “I should ask you the same question. Are you serious right now? Were you actually thinking of breaking into an ogre prison by yourself?”
“Go home, Sophie.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”